From Street Photographer To Filmmaker?!
The Unexpected Path To Cinema
Welcome back to Adopted Lens, my monthly newsletter dedicated to the journey of self-discovery through photography.
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think street photography is a stepping stone to something even bigger–let me explain.
When I first picked up a camera, I was just excited to learn the basics. Every day, I hit the streets, experimenting, developing my style, and deepening my understanding of the world around me. But I struggled with storytelling through my photographs.
I know the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” and I get it, but storytelling didn't come naturally at first.
It might sound strange since street photography inherently captures stories, but I realized that seeing a story wasn’t enough–I had to feel it. A compelling photograph isn’t just visually appealing; it evokes emotion. Over time, I learned that some of the stories I captured weren’t just about the subjects in front of me, they were a reflection of my own perspective and life experiences.
As I continued to shoot, I challenged myself to explore different genres of photography, like portraiture, studio, and commercial work, but the most engaging form of photography was shooting behind-the-scenes. Being on set and documenting candid moments was my way of utilizing my street sensibilities in order to tell a different type of story.
Additionally, being on set has allowed me to learn so much about the film industry–from watching how different Directors work, to understanding the role of a PA, DOP and Producer, to writing a treatment and utilizing storyboards to help bring the vision to life.
Although up until recently, I’ve never considered filmmaking as an option, I’ve always been inspired by classic movies like ‘La Haine’, Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’, or more recently A.V. Rockwell’s ‘Open City Mixtape’.
“Being exposed to the filmmaking process has given me the confidence to say… I think I can do this.”
The funny thing about this revelation is that one of my very close friends, who’s both a photographer and videographer, told me this would eventually happen. I didn’t believe him at the time, but he was right!
There have been so many talented photographers turned filmmakers, that it makes a lot of sense. For example, Stanley Kubrick (‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, ‘Clockwork Orange’, ‘The Shinning’) honed his storytelling skills through still images as a photographer for Look magazine before he became a filmmaker. Famous street/documentary-style photographers like Robert Frank, Gordon Parks (‘Shaft’), Larry Clark (‘Kids’), and Cheryl Dunn (‘Everybody Street’) all used their visual storytelling skills to create powerful films, often bringing a unique photographic perspective to their cinematography.
When I started my YouTube channel focused on Street Photography, I unknowingly entered into my filmmaking era. By no means am I creating “films” on YouTube, but I am learning the basics of how to direct, shoot and edit a video, record audio, light a scene, write scripts, and tell stories through motion pictures.
I recently made my “Directorial debut” (I use that term lightly) with a very short 1 min piece, in collaboration with award winning Canadian outerwear brand–Nobis. Essentially, they gifted me a winter jacket as part of their Nobis Navigator brand ambassador program, and I decided to make a video about it.
Referencing Robert Frost’s famous poem ‘The Road Not Taken’, I made something that spoke to both my journey as a creative, as well as the brand’s underlying story. I won’t overcomplicate things by trying to explain every detail, just press play and enjoy.
Obviously, I still have a lot to learn, but at the core, I now know that I want to tell stories with more than just photography. I want to make films!
Until next month, peace.
Photo of The Month
Most Recent YouTube Video
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News & Updates
MyPhotoCommunity® Website Launch
I’m beyond excited to announce the official MyPhotoCommunity® website launch! This is our new community hub for all things photography. From event listings, community photo galleries, to special features and much more!
Check out myphotocommunity.pixpa.com
The Remix Project x Yorkdale - Community Over Everything Photo Exhibit
I’m really excited to share that through my work with The Remix Project, we’ve secured a year-long partnership with Oxford Properties. As part of this partnership, we collaborated with Yorkdale to create a Black History Month photo exhibit entitled ‘Community Over Everything’, featuring 14 striking banner images created by alumni from The Remix Project’s Photography Program. These powerful images celebrate themes of identity, joy, self-love, and style, serving as a tribute to the beauty of self-expression, creativity, and community.
To learn more about each artist, Click Here.
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I really like that first photo of the man checking out his hair in the reflection. And it just gets better the longer you look at it.